A two-year-old dog has become a surprise top-10 finisher in a half marathon.

Unknown to her owner, Ludivine made her way to the starting line of the Trackless Train Trek Half Marathon in Alabama, USA.

Despite being described as "really lazy", the hound completed the 13.1-mile course in one hour, 32 minutes and 56 seconds - enough to earn Ludivine seventh place.

The event's organisers even awarded her with a medal for her efforts at the finish line.

The first her owner, April Hamlin, heard of the dog's success was through texts with photos of Ludivine in action.

“All I did was open the door, and she ran the race on her own accord,” Hamlin, 43, told Runner's World.

She added: “She’s laid back and friendly, so I can’t believe she ran the whole half marathon because she’s actually really lazy."

Ludivine kept going despite a number of distractions along the way, including a dead rabbit.